Overview

At Percepton Primus[1l] of the Percepton System of Ultramar, the Word Bearers managed to cripple the Ultramarine forces in 27 minutes at the beginning of the Shadow Crusade, but the fight continued 163 days. As part of the attack on Ultramar, the Word Bearers repainted their armor to red, marking their new ways but it unsettled Captain ]Sor Talgron. Before the battle, Dark ApostleJarulek said that Erebus ordered the Ultramarines to be taken alive to be sacrificed, but Talgron refused to listen and would kill them outright because it was his fight to command.[1b] Talgron also did not like the desperate faith of his brothers and saw it as a weakness, blaming Lorgar for the problem although he was loyal to his primarch. However, he did not tell anyone because he knew he would be killed as part of another purge.[1e] Talgron especially loathed Erebus and believed that he was a cancer upon the legion, and any brother he thought was too faithful or trusted Erebus was sent to Calth.[1f]

The opening attack destroyed more than half of the Ultramarine ships.[1b] On the surface of the planet, the fight began with tank battles and assaults, but it broke down into hand to hand combat.[1c] In the city of Massilea, Talgron fought on the surface along side of his standard bearer Ahraneth and master of signal Dal Ahk.[1b] The city was held by the 174th Company.[1c] The Word Bearers bombarded the city, attacking from the air with Thunderhawks and Stormbirds and from the ground with Rhinos, Land Raiders, Vindicators, Fellblades, and Typhons. The legionaries went from building to building to clear the Ultramarines, slowly progressing through the ruins. Other Ultramarine forces were battling in a plain 50km away from Massilea, and Talgron diverted half of his forces to assault them.[1d]

They fought against Ultramarines who fell back to a former librarium building, unused after Nikaea. 6 of his men were killed in the fire fight, and all of the Ultramarines left were either killed outright or killed while wounded, leaving none for dark rituals. Coming upon a bisected Ultramarine Captain, the captain asked Talgron why he fought. Talgron killed the captain, but he explained anyway that he did so under orders.[1b] The city was held by the 174th Company.[1c] Ahraneth was killed by a sniper in an area Talgron thought was clear, which infuriated him.[1d]

While the Ultramarines 17th Chapter Master Aecus Decimus led his men in the disordered battle ground. His TechmarineNaxor was previously killed and veteran Vaul Agregius ("Victor of Staxus") was gunned down. Champion Tillus Victorius fought quietly with sword and shield, killing many but was too brought down by a bolter shot, and the ignoble nature of the battle filled Decimus with hatred. The conflict ruined his artificer armor and forced him to go without his broken helmet, and he was tired and wounded. The battle went poorly, with enemy Titans cutting down his men and vox communication killed by daemonic whispers.[1c]

Above the battle, five of the Ultramarines marked warriors, censured, were given another task to redeem them. Each had a different background and were chosen because of their status. They watched as Word Bearers left the taken city of Massilea to flood their position while landing craft came up from the south. Of the number, the youngest, Sio, wanted to wait to act because Ultramarines could be coming from out of system to aid them, but Romus silences him with duty and explaining that it was probably a wide scale conflict across Ultramar. They finally unified and joined a group of human army veterans at a shuttle.[1c] Talgron received word from the third echelon of the docking action, and instead of blasting it from orbit decided to have his ship take him to the location because he would kill them with honor.[1d]

Eventually, the Word Bearers were able to flank Decimus's position, but his men were able to use autocannons to bring down many. The Word Bearers in turn brought assault marines and they quickly stopped the heavy weapons. Decimus charged the assault marines, but he was almost overcome by one in the attack.[1c] Talgron boarded a stormbird and it took him, Dal Ahk, and two squads, to the position the Word Bearers spotted the shuttle used by the marked. They flew over a battle field, and Talgron was able to see the remains of 6 loyalist Titans, including (Reaver, Warhound, and Nemesis-class) destroyed by orbital barrage, leaving only the fastest Warhounds to escape. The continued further east, spotting Word Bearer tank forces boarding orbital before passing over 3 Deathdealer Night Gaunts Titans of Legio Mordaxis marching to their own lifters.[1e]

The outpost they were traveling to was hidden from scans, shielded. It was only discovered by recon officer Loth, one of the Word Bearer's best. It was built into a mountain and had a landing pad, and another Word Bearer lander was already present when they arrived. Dal Ahk questioned Talgron as to why the Ultramarines would go to such a place, and Talgron pointed out that there must be a reason. However, this did not ease his concerns.[1e] Inside the outpost, Talgron was met by Loth above a deep shaft that was sealed behind a blast door. The recon squad was then sent down to retrieve a conveyor for the others to descend the shaft while a third transport brought a siege squad led by Sergeant Telakhas and joined by Jarulek. Talgron took a siege shield for himself to join the descent, and ordered Dal Ahk to remain behind.[1f]

As the conveyor with the Word Bearers descended, Korolos waited and reflected on his own history. He was the champion of the 178th Company but marked by censure over 100 years before. He won his right to return after Senosia IV by Chapter Master Levianus's orders, but he refused to release the burden. Even under Levianus's successor, Decimus, he would wear the red until death.[1g] During the Great Crusade, he battled against Eldar with 200 of his legionaries and Harkon Geno troops, who were easily cut down. They were cut off, and over 170 of his own men and over 318 other legionaries coming to support them, died in the battle, which cost his captaincy. It was 17 years until he was redeemed at Senosia IV. After defeating his enemies there, he fell, thinking he would die, but he was reborn from being Brother Aventine Koriol into Korolos the Contemptor Dreadnought.[1h]

Korolos felt divided from the others (2 of his fellow legionaries, a group of human soldiers, and servitor turrets), but they all fought together when the Word Bearers arrived. The siege shields were highly effective, but one Word Bearer was brought down by a lucky shot. Toth and his recon squad was able to fire from a position of the conveyor, able to destroy one of the servitors. The other servitor was able to use a beam weapon that tore apart 3 of the shield bearers and one of the recon squad while 2 more legionaries were cut down by bolter fire.[1g] Korolos took the moment to charge, easily cutting the Word Bearers down. Many Word Bearers were cut down before Korols turned on Talgron, hearing the Word Bearer giving orders to others. The two fought, but Telakhas was able to use a thunder hammer partially to destroy the Contemptor's knee before being killed by the dreadnought.[1h]

However, Telakhas's death bought the Word Bearers enough time for a squad of 5 Cataphractii terminators to teleport in.[1h] While the battle continued, Octavion watched as time counted down, having just over a minute and a half left. He was hoping to communicate with the ruined Righteous Fury in orbit, crippled but still semi-functioning and approaching orbit to the correct location. Korolos still fought the Word Bearers, killing some of the terminators but they destroyed one of his arms. However, it bought enough time for Octavion to key a sequence to the ship, reaching Admiral Solontine, giving her the order and targeting coordinates but would need seven minutes to launch an attack and requiring the channel to stay open to have a frame of reference for it.[1i]

Eventually, only Korolos was left defending the chamber, killing three of the terminators before falling though still trying to fight. Talgorn used the thunder hammer to bash at the dreadnought, removing the helm to blind it then having the other two terminators destroy the remaining arm. In his final moments, Korolos asked for death, wanting to be released, and Talgron obeyed the wish. The loss prompted Octavion to leave the room without a weapon to buy more time. This caused Talgron to stop, and, before he could react, Octavion released psychic power into the room, blasting the soldiers before him. Power flowed out, causing him to rise. Talgron laughed, accusing Octavion of being a traitor too for violating the decree, provoking Octavion to focus on him. However, Jarulek was able to use his own powers, tapping into the warp and summoning shadows to attack the librarian.[1j]

Octavion used his power to smash the wrecked dreadnought into Jarulek before he was taken by the shadows, which caused them to de-materialized. However, Loth was able to take a shot and kill the librarian. Jarulek survived, and Loth pointed Talgron to the communication screen just as the ship began to fire upon the planet.[lj] On the surface, Decimus was still battling but the battle was going poorly. He was severely wounded, though he continued to fight. Thousands of the enemy fought them, with dreadnoughts and tanks, but then the attack from orbit began to strike. The Ultramarines besides Decimus thought it could be reinforcements, but Decimus was shamed that he did not tell of his final contingency plan. Decimus told his men that the planet was lost, but they would take the traitors with them. In their final moments, he rallied his troops, and they were filled with pride and anger as he called for a final charge as death swept the planet.[1k]

Conclusion

The Ultramarines used Phosphex, a world killing weapon, upon the planet, which was a weapon Guilliman believed as the worst weapon to ever use. It was able to burn without oxygen and almost no fuel. It was powerful enough to burn water, rock, and metal. It was only sanctioned for Ultramarine use twice before, and the amount of phosphex release was far more than ever used: 24 mortalis-class atmospheric missiles each targeted to a specific location.[1l] As the Word Bearers took the conveyor back to the surface, the phosphex was starting to eat through the doors of the outpost. Talgorn was impressed that the Ultramarines were willing to do such a thing, and knew that only few of his men would be able to evacuate. Chemicals already threatened them, and Jarulek expressed anger at what was happening. Talgron threatened Jarulek, pointing out that the warp didn't reveal it happening, and Talgron was filled with disgust by what the Word Bearers became. Jarulek offered to use his powers to help them escape, and Talgron refused, which provoked Jarulek to leave him behind.[1k]

3 minutes and 27 seconds after releasing the missiles, the Word Bearers destroyed the Righteous Fury, with the cruiser Sanctified taking credit.[1l] The surviving men of Talgron's squad tried to exit the outpost but fell back when one was overcome by the phosphex. Outside, the three Word Bearer crafts were gone and the Ultramarines lander was destroyed. They were trapped and had no other option, and before they could act a missile crashed near by. As he watched death coming, Tolgron believed that the Word Bearers, and not the Ultramarines, would be blamed for the events, and he thought it was probably deserved.[1l] When the blast came, it threw them back, killing the recon squad first then the other legionaries. In what he thought was his final moments, Tolgron wished to have a quick death then a fate like Wreth's.[1m]

The last Ultramarine was killed at 454008.M31.[1b] Death covered the planet, but a Stormbird, AT-394, was able to descend to the outpost. Two terminators were able to make their way through the phosphex to the Stormbird with Talgorn's body, but one collapsed and only the other made it aboard with the body. Only void could end the phosphex burning, and the Stormbird opened itself to snuff what remained on the terminator and Talgorn. They were taken to the Infidus Diabolus, and it was Dal Ahk who was in the cockpit. Dal Ahk ordered an apothecarion, and he was initially rebuffed until he told them he had the captain.[1m]

At 456008.M31 in the Percepton System, a fleshless legionary was freed of his Mark III plate while many other wounded lay around him in the apothecary of Urhlan. Unable to use medicine to save him, Jarulek took over.[1a] Mentally, Talgron found himself back on Terra trapped in the hole they hid Wreth's body. Talgron could see the daemons infesting the host and apologized to Wreth for what happened. Talgron believed he was being punished, and reached his hand into Wreth's chest and felt the daemon crawling into his burned flesh and bonded with him before dragging Talgron into their host's body because they were not yet ready. At the same time, he could feel his limbs being cut away, and his body being replaced with synthetics. He was pulled further into the warp, and he could feel the gods and daemons there, realizing that he was wrong in his denial. Before he could be trapped there, Lorgar appeared, taking him into the primarch's light.[1n]

After Urhlan pronounced Talgron dead, he noticed that the terminator who rescued Talgron was recovering. It was CataphractiiSergeantKol Badar. As everyone left, Jarulek noticed a warp presence within Talgron, and he called everyone back. With weakness, Talgron told them that he saw Lorgar and witnessed the gods. After recovering, they built a robotic body for him instead of interring him within a dreadnought. He wore the Book of Lorgar from then on, and he was given a crozius as part of his new duties with the legion. In all, 2/3rds of the 34th Company was killed, but he considered it was a weak victory and focused on what would happen with Wreth in the future.[1n]